5 reasons to love these juicy oven baked chicken thighs

  • Perfectly seasoned with only 5 simple spices, you’ll get juicy thighs with crispy skin every time.
  • They are prepped and ready in the time it takes to preheat your oven!
  • Bone-in chicken thighs are versatile and go with about any side dish. They are an ideal weeknight dinner.
  • The flavor of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs is incredible. The fat and dark meat imparts more flavor while keeping the chicken moist.
  • Great for meal prep too. This recipe makes about 6 chicken thighs and you could easily double it if you want to make more.

Related ->> Try these Easy Buffalo Chicken Thighs

How to make baked bone-in chicken thighs (step-by-step)

Mix up the simple chicken seasoning blend.
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
Drizzle with oil and brush to coat.
Season the chicken liberally all over.
Bake at 400° Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken. See the full recipe below for notes on internal temperature.

Recipe tips

  • I highly recommend using an instant-read meat thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken.
  • Speaking of temperature, every recipe out there will tell you to cook thighs to an internal temp of 165°. However, they can cook to 175°-185° and still taste nice and juicy due to the additional fat content. I personally prefer to cook them to around 180°.
  • If you want some extra crispy skin, you can turn the oven up to broil at the end for a few minutes. Just watch the chicken skin carefully to avoid burning.
  • All chicken thighs are differently sized, so use the 30-40 minute cooking time as a baseline. Smaller thighs may take only 30 minutes, but larger thighs will take longer.
  • You can save the juices from the chicken to make gravy. You can also save the bones to make bone broth.

Recipe variations

Seasoning – The recipe includes a simple seasoning mix that tastes great. Feel free to substitute another chicken seasoning you like.

Boneless thighs – You can use boneless thighs for this recipe, just cut the cooking time down. They will likely take about 20-25 minutes to cook, depending on the size.

BBQ chicken thighs – If you want to make these BBQ, I recommend brushing on some BBQ sauce in the last few minutes of cooking. If you put it on earlier, it tends to burn.

Spice it up – Add a little cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the seasoning mix if you want a little spice.

The best temp for cooking chicken thighs

I prefer to cook bone-in chicken thighs at a relatively high temp of 400° Fahrenheit. This cooks the chicken pretty quickly and gives it a nice and crispy skin (without burning).

Refer to the chart below if you wish to cook your chicken at a different temperature. Note that temperatures higher than 400° may result in some burnt pieces of skin.

TemperatureCooking Time
350°40-50 Minutes
375°35-45 Minutes
400°30-40 Minutes
425°25-35 Minutes

What to serve with oven roasted chicken thighs

These thighs will go with just about anything. Simply serve them with rice or a salad and you are all set.

They also go great with these easy sides:

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

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Overhead shot of a pan full of baked bone in chicken thighs
5 from 4 ratings
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5-Ingredient (Super-Easy!) Oven Baked Bone-In Chicken Thighs

The flavor of these perfectly roasted chicken thighs is incredible. This easy 5-ingredient oven-baked bone-in chicken thigh recipe is the perfect staple recipe and easy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs bone in chicken thighs, (about 6 thighs)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the seasoning:

  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp thyme

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or line/grease a baking dish with oil.
  • Make the seasoning by combing all of the ingredients in a small bowl or ramekin and mixing well.
  • Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and place them on the baking sheet.
  • Drizzle the chicken with a little oil and brush to coat both sides. Then, sprinkle the seasoning mix all over the chicken on both sides (leaving the chicken skin side up for baking).
  • Place chicken in the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your thighs. The internal temperature of the chicken should be at least 165°.
    Note: Because of the additional fat content in chicken thighs, they can cook until the internal temperature of the thighs reaches 175°-185° and still taste nice and juicy.
  • If desired, turn the oven to broil for the last few minutes of cooking to crisp up this skin. Watch the chicken carefully to prevent burning.
  • Remove and serve.

Last Step:

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Notes

Nutrition amounts noted are per serving and an estimate provided for those following a Ketogenic or low-carb diet. See our full nutrition information disclosure here.
Calories: 468kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 37g
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5-Ingredient (Super-Easy!) Oven Baked Bone-In Chicken Thighs5-Ingredient (Super-Easy!) Oven Baked Bone-In Chicken Thighs